Nigerian energy executives used a recent industry gathering to press for more funding, better infrastructure and a friendlier operating climate as they look to raise the country's oil and gas production, according to Vanguard News.
Reporting from the event, Vanguard News said the leaders also urged the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to hand out oil assets on the basis of capacity and expertise rather than other considerations. THISDAYLIVE carried the same call, framing it as a route to growing output.
The Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria used the occasion to project a deepwater production boost of 500,000 barrels per day, alongside a refining capacity target of 2 million barrels per day, according to guardian.ng.
The push comes as Nigeria weighs how its energy transition should be shaped. Vanguard News reported that Ekpo said the transition must reflect the country's development needs, a position that sits alongside the industry's demand for capital and infrastructure.
Punch Newspapers, in a piece titled "Nigeria's energy: A capital story," examined the funding dimension of the sector's ambitions.
Taken together, the coverage points to a sector that sees money, facilities and predictable regulation as the levers for higher output, with the asset-award process at the centre of the debate.
What to watch next: whether the NUPRC adjusts how it allocates oil assets, and whether the deepwater and refining targets cited by PETAN draw the investment needed to move forward.
